


Probable Side Effects

by Hollyspacey



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Drugged Darcy, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but in a good way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6482830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The upside about meeting your soulmate is that you get to meet the person fate has chosen for you.<br/>The downside is that you may meet them while high as a kite on painkillers and later forget the whole thing. </p>
<p>Of course, that could just be something that happens to Darcy;</p>
            </blockquote>





	Probable Side Effects

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt from justduck82. I hope you like it! :)

Dr. Helen Cho was at the forefront of medical technology. Her rejuvenation cradle was one of the biggest medical advancement in recent years. Not to mention her less flashy projects. Low cost vaccines, non-invasive surgeries, plus countless others. So, when Darcy felt a sharp pain in her side, and then later WebMD-diagnosed it as appendicitis, she felt wholly comfortable going to Helen. Once Helen made her actual, medical diagnosis, she admitted Darcy into her care. The surgery was quick, just under twenty minutes, and Helen took it as a chance to test a new sedative she’d been working on.

The results were...mixed.

Darcy leaned against Jane, singing a song from The Lion King, arm around her waist like a starfish as the scientist gathered their things. Jane had finally managed to pull her off of Helen, after she'd spent a good ten minutes thanking her and telling her how pretty and smart she was. Darcy reached out to Helen for a goodbye hug, and the doctor obliged, wrapping her arms around Darcy and smiling indulgently at her as a new round of compliments began, “Helen, your hair. It’s so soft, it’s the softest hair I’ve ever touched. Jane, come touch her hair.”

“I’m sure it’s very soft, Darcy. Now, stop mauling her.”

Jane managed to pull Darcy back, leading her to the door just as Steve Rogers walked into Helen’s lab. He had been gracious enough to agree to give Helen blood samples to assist with some vaccines she was working on. Helen gave him a greeting, moving away from the women to ready her materials.

Darcy stopped in her tracks, not budging as she stood straighter and gaped wide-eyed at the man. She inclined her head towards Jane and spoke in a not-so-hushed whisper, “Jane, why’s there stars all over that man?”

Jane shot him an apologetic smile, “Darcy, that’s Captain Rogers, he’s in uniform.”

“Who?”

“Captain Rogers, you’ve heard Thor talk about him. _Captain America_?”

Darcy tilted her head and focused intently on the man who had an amused grin covering his face. After a few moments, Darcy shook her head, resolutely, “No, that man is an imposter. That is not Captain America.”

Helen chuckled, “Sorry, Steve. That’s Darcy. She had to have a little surgery earlier and had a slight reaction to the sedative. Darcy, that’s not an imposter, I promise. That is absolutely Captain America.”

“It is _not_. That man is smiling. Tony said Captain America isn’t able to smile on account of the giant flagpole stuck up his butt.”

“Darcy!” Jane scolded her.

Steve chuckled, “It’s alright Dr. Foster,” he faced Darcy, a sincere look on his face, “Ma’am, I think the problem is that you listened to Tony. He isn’t the most reliable, too many hits to the head and all.”

Darcy gasped, struggling out of Jane’s arms and stumbling forward to throw herself against Steve, who awkwardly patted her on the back as Jane stepped forward to pull her off of him, “Yep, pretty sure it’s bedtime. C’mon, Darce.”

“No, Jane, it’s ok. He’s my soulmate!” Darcy looked up at Steve, “You’re my soulmate, ok? So you have to be straight with me. Are you really Captain America?”

Steve stared down at the girl in his arms who’d just said the words he’d waited years to hear. He felt his throat tighten with emotion, “Yeah. I am. But you can call me Steve.”

“Steve,” she murmured reverently.

Helen stepped forward, “Are you two really soulmates or is this just Darcy being a little loopy?”

Steve nodded, but Darcy twisted around and nodded enthusiastically, “We are! Look, I’ll show you, it’s on my butt.”

She reached down to start unbuttoning her pants and Jane grabbed her hands, “Whoa. Let’s maybe save that until later, ok?”

Jane shuffled Darcy towards the door, but Steve’s voice stopped them, “Dr. Foster, do you need help getting her back?”

“Yes, please,” Jane sighed.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Dr. Cho,” Steve promised as he stepped forward and looped Darcy’s arm around his neck, allowing her to lean against him.

They took a few steps forward before Darcy stopped, “I think I could walk better if you just carried me.”

“I’m sure,” Steve chuckled, scooping her up in his arms.

Darcy ran her fingers through his hair and leaned back to look at Jane, “Jane! His hair is soft, too! Touch it!”

“That’s alright, Darcy. I’m sure it’s very soft.”

They walked to Darcy’s apartment, her chattering away, bragging to Steve about how smart Jane was. When they got inside her room, Darcy sat on the bed and Steve helped Jane pull off her shoes. He cleared his throat and stood as Darcy started pulling off her sweater, “Well, I better get back up to the lab. I’m sure Helen is waiting. Darcy, maybe I can stop by tomorrow when you’re feeling better?”

Darcy clumsily crawled up on the bed and stood on the edge of the mattress, Steve leaping forward to catch her before she toppled over. She nuzzled into his neck, “Of course you can, we love each other now. Now, give me those lips.”

That was the only warning Steve got before Darcy twisted her head and kissed him. It wasn’t a racy kiss, just a few moments of their lips slotted together, but Darcy was pressed against him as close as she could get, and Steve felt a rush of affection for this girl. He disentangled himself from her and set her back on the floor, “Let’s try that some other time, ok? Maybe when that sedative wears off?”

Darcy nodded solemnly, “Yes, absolutely. The next time I see you, I expect an even better kiss, do you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Ok, I’m gonna sleep now,” she said, lazily patting Steve’s butt as he turned to leave.

Jane met his eye as he passed her and motioned for him to wait. Standing in Darcy’s living room, he took a look around. The room had personality, it was easy to see that Darcy had put her personal touch on everything. Cozy blankets heaped on the couch, well-worn books on the coffee table, little knick-knacks everywhere. Steve wandered over to her bookshelf and pulled a picture frame off to study it. It showed Darcy and Jane on a rooftop, just as the sun was setting, the desert stretching out behind them.

“We took that our last night in New Mexico. It was a good night,” Jane said, coming into the living room and motioning him out of the apartment.

Steve followed along at Jane’s side in silence. They got to the elevator and she looked up at him, studying him with an analytical gaze, “Thor has nice things to say about you.”

Steve nodded, “I’m glad to hear it, he’s a good man.”

Jane hummed, still watching him, “Bruce, too. And Clint. Natasha. Even Tony. They all speak very highly of you. But I don’t really care about what any of them have to say.” She sighed and pointed back down the hall, “That girl, your soulmate, she’s my best friend. She is one of the most important people in this world to me. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do to protect her, and I say that as someone who has access to equipment capable of sending someone to another world.”

Steve swallowed thickly, he’d come face to face with Nazis and terrorist organizations and actual supervillains and yet somehow this tiny lady and her calm demeanor scared him way more than any of them.

“I have no intentions of hurting her. When I went into the ice, I didn’t have a mark. Then I wake up and there is that messy scrawl making me promise to tell the truth and I made a vow to myself to be as honest as possible. And when I met the one who I was supposed to be with, they would never have to doubt me,” he shrugged, “Knowing that she was out there somewhere kept me going at times when I just wanted to give up. No way am I gonna throw that away.”

Jane stared at him, before nodding, “Ok. Just know that I’m watching you.”

“I expect nothing less.”

The next morning, Steve had plans to go see Darcy. He was hoping that the sedative had worn off and that he would have the chance to get to know her a little better. He had just left his apartment, heading downstairs to go to the florist a block over and grab some Get Well Soon flowers for Darcy when his phone started ringing his least favorite ring. It was the call to assemble and never had Steve hated it more.

A few minutes later found him on the quinjet with Thor, Tony, and Bruce, off to some country he didn’t want to be in, fighting a creature that never should have been created. His thoughts kept circling around to Darcy. Although they’d only spent a few minutes with each other, and Darcy hadn’t been entirely herself, Steve was already enamored with the girl.

Thor came and sat down with him, huge grin on his face, “I hear you are my sister Darcy’s intended.”

“It looks like it. She seems like a great girl.”

“Aye, she is. I trust that my Jane gave you good warning about treating our Darcy well.”

Thor’s voice had taken on an even deeper timbre, and Steve was glad that he’d never been in the face of Thor’s full ire before, because the man was terrifying. Steve cleared his throat, “Yes. She was very convincing.”

Thor laughed deeply and slapped Steve on the shoulder, “Then I welcome you to the family, Steven.”

*****

Darcy sat at her desk, coffee in hand. She’d spent all weekend in bed, sleeping off the effects of what had been some very strong painkillers and she was still feeling a bit groggy.

First thing, she made sure to send an edible arrangement to Helen. To be totally healed within two days of having her appendix out, and without even the tiniest scar? Helen was a genius, and also totally her hero. And of course, she had given her the amazing sedative that had made her feel like she had spent the whole weekend asleep on a cloud, despite having some pretty strange dreams.

Jane sauntered over to lay some notes on Darcy’s desk and grinned at her, “I hear they’re coming back today.”

“Who’s coming back today?”

Jane’s grin grew even more, “You know, the whole team will be back. Our boys.”

“Our boys,” Darcy repeated slowly. “Oh, yeah.”

Thor and Bruce and Tony would be returning from their mission today, of course. _Our boys_. Jane was so dramatic sometimes.

“Are you excited?”

“I suppose. It’s always good to have them back.”

Jane nodded, still grinning, “So, have you talked to him since he left?”

“Who, Thor?” Darcy asked.

Jane frowned, “No, _Steve_.”

Darcy thought for a moment, “Steve, like Captain America Steve?”

“Yes, Steve like Captain America Steve.”

“Umm, no. I can’t say that I have considering I’ve never met the guy.”

Jane stared at her, “But, you…”

“But I what?”

Jane frowned, “Do you remember anything from this weekend?”

“I remember laying in bed all day yesterday binge-watching 30 Rock. Before that, everything is kind of a blur.”

“You don’t remember your surgery.”

She smiled contentedly, “Nope. Helen could make a killing off of whatever that was that she gave me. Good stuff,” Darcy narrowed her eyes at Jane, “Why? What’s going on? Why are you being so weird?”

“What? I’m not being weird. I’m just talking to my best friend. Can’t I ask you questions without it being weird?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

They stared at each other for a few moments before Jane muttered something about getting back to work and started typing away on her phone.

PLEASE TELL STEVE THAT DARCY DOESN’T REMEMBER HIM.

THOR, PLEASE READ YOUR MESSAGES.

THOR!!!

What Jane did not know was that Thor had accidentally crushed his phone earlier that day. Or rather, Hulk did. All accidentally, of course. So he never got the messages Jane was sending him. What Jane also didn’t know was that they weren’t on their way back from their mission, they’d already arrived back, and at that very moment Steve and a giddy Thor were only a few floors away from Darcy and herself.

It was only a few minutes later that the lab doors swept open and Thor came in, going straight to Jane and sweeping her into his arms for a kiss. Jane pulled away, “You’re back! Did you get my messages?” Thor’s response was forgotten as Jane watched Steve walk in the lab and go over to Darcy.

Darcy was at the copier when Thor came in. She smiled to herself as he and Jane embraced, something about those two together always gave her the warm fuzzies. She was distracted again as someone else walked into the lab, a red-white-and-blue bedecked someone.

_Ooh, I guess I get to finally meet the Captain_ , was her only thought before Captain Rogers’ eyes swept the room and landed on her. Darcy froze as he strode over to her, enveloped her in his arms and stared down at her with a giant grin on his face, “Hello.”

He inclined his head towards hers and his lips were less than an inch away from her own when either Jane’s frantic shouting of his name, or Darcy’s confused demeanor caught his attention. He pulled back and looked at her with a furrowed brow, “Is everything alright?”

“Uhh, yeah. Everything is alright,” Darcy answered slowly, glancing down at his hands on her and back up at him, “Just sort of confused by what’s happening. Not that I am against it, mind you. I’ve had some pretty great dreams that start this way, but I’m pretty sure I’m awake right now, and Jane and Thor usually aren’t in them, and also, we’ve never met.”

Steve released her and gave her a startled look. Jane pushed in between them and looked up at Steve, “I tried to get in touch with you. Darcy doesn’t remember her surgery or anything else from that day.”

“She… doesn’t remember?”

Darcy saw the heartbreaking look on Steve’s face, “Wait. What is it I don’t remember?”

Jane looked back and forth between the two and stepped away, letting Steve take the reins on that one. He met her eyes, “You had just had your surgery, up in Helen’s lab. I walked in and you asked who I was and when they told you, you said I was an imposter. Something about a flagpole up my butt that Tony told you about?”

Darcy had begun looking at Steve strangely, and he continued, “Anyway, I cautioned you against listening to Tony, said that he wasn’t the most reliable source. I’m sorry, I don’t remember what I said word for word, but I’m sure you can guess.”

“Ma’am, I think the problem is that you listened to Tony. He isn’t the most reliable, too many hits to the head and all,” Darcy repeated back to him word-for-word. She stared wide-eyed, “You called me ma’am.”

“Sorry. Old habits.”

“No, it’s sweet. I just kind of thought I would be older when I met you,” Darcy glanced down and back up at him shyly, “Did I say yours?”

Steve turned around and pulled up his shirt, letting Darcy see the script that spanned his shoulder blades. Darcy laughed softly as she ran her fingertips over the words, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Steve pulled his shirt back down and faced her, “I apologize for coming at you like that, I didn’t know you didn’t remember.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m kind of disappointed that I don’t. And just for future reference, I know that we’re soulmates now, so I’m totally ok with you kissing me whenever you want.”

Steve grinned, “I will keep that in mind. How about I go get cleaned up and come back and we can hang out?”

“It’s a plan.”

Steve left the lab but peeked his head back in. “Oh, and maybe this time Jane won’t stop you from showing me your mark,” he said with a wink.

A burst of laughter fell from Darcy’s lips, “Definitely. I’ll make sure she’s good and distracted with science.”


End file.
